"Fitz-Randolph, Douglas" wrote: > Steve Schwenk wrote: > > You guys are nuts! I NEVER trust those places .... not > after they scratched all 4 alloys doing an alignment > and ruined most of my $13 lug nuts. Now, I take 4 > wheels into the shop in my car and pick them up when > done while the van waits on jack stands in my garage. > > I'd like to add: > > Even if you don't go as far as bringing j-u-s-t the > tires & wheels to the shop, DO remove your centercaps > if you've got alloy wheels. My 15" SA 5-spoke alloys > have a center disc help on by a single hex screw. If > the guy in the shop doesn't use a metric hex key, > chances are he'll round out the hex slot, and if he > isn't really careful re-threading the hard, steel > screws into the soft, aluminum wheels, he'll ruin > the threads. > > This is why I know that you can get an exact > replacement screw either from the little screw that > holds your disc rotors in place while the wheel is > off, or from a BMW motorcycle dealer if you've > already tossed your disc rotor retainers. > > And this is why I own a metric tap and die set. > > I won't even go into all the different the ways a > tire guy can scratch things up trying to remove > the old VW disc-style hubcaps if they don't have > the little $1 wire loop tool. > > Be safe and make things as s-i-m-p-l-e for the > tire shop employee as humanly possible!!! > > > Doug Fitz-Randolph > > Freeport, ME > > '90 Syncro Since I don't want someone who may never have seen one before putting my Vanagon on a lift, when I go to buy tires, I put the spare on before I go. This way I have one wheel ready for them to start mounting a tire on. Meanwhile in the parking lot, I start jacking up one corner at a time, bringing other wheels in and bringing out the finished wheels and installing them. This method also helps avoid situations where you or a family member tries to change a tire along the road, only to discover that someone with an impact wrench has put the lug bolts on so tight that you can't get them loose with the lug wrench. Except for the matter of balancing, I would be tempted to do the mounting myself with a couple of tire tools and a hammer like in the "good old days". I remember a short science fiction story where an old man was instructing his grandson in the lost art of mounting tires by hand. I think the story was called "Bears Discover Fire" Sorry about the rambling, Larry A. |
Please note - During the past 17 years of operation, several gigabytes of
Vanagon mail messages have been archived. Searching the entire collection
will take up to five minutes to complete. Please be patient!
Return to the archives @ gerry.vanagon.com
The vanagon mailing list archives are copyright (c) 1994-2011, and may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the list administrators. Posting messages to this mailing list grants a license to the mailing list administrators to reproduce the message in a compilation, either printed or electronic. All compilations will be not-for-profit, with any excess proceeds going to the Vanagon mailing list.
Any profits from list compilations go exclusively towards the management and operation of the Vanagon mailing list and vanagon mailing list web site.